Violinist Geoff Nuttall Has Died, Age 56

Nuttall was the first violinist and co-founder of the St. Lawrence String Quartet

Violinist Geoff Nuttall has passed away today, following a battle with pancreatic cancer. He wore many hats as the founding first violinist of the St. Lawrence String Quartet (SLSQ), the Director of Chamber Music for the Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, SC, and a Stanford University faculty member.

Born in Texas, Nuttall lived in Canada throughout his violin studies. He was taught by Lorand Fenyves at the Banff Centre and attended the University of Western Ontario and the University of Toronto.

In 1989, Nuttall established the SLSQ with co-founding members violinist Barry Shiffman, violist Lesley Robertson, and cellist Marina Hoover. The group now consists of cellist Christopher Costanza, who joined the quartet in 2003, and violinist Owen Dalby, who joined in 2015.

Shortly after their founding, the SLSQ won the Young Concert Artists Auditions and first prize at the Banff International String Quartet Competition (BISQC). The group also signed an exclusive recording contract with EMI Classics.

The quartet was the graduate ensemble in residence at the Juilliard School, Yale University, and the Hartt School of Music. In 1999, they became the ensemble-in-residence at Stanford University where Nuttall was also given a faculty position.

With the quartet, Nuttall collaborated with composers like John Adams and  Osvaldo Golijov — in addition to receiving two Grammy nominations for their debut album, Yiddishbbuk.  SLSQ's album of Schumann's first and third string quartets also won a Juno Award.

Having served on the jury for the Banff International String Quartet Competition, Nuttall also received grants from the Ontario Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts. In 2009, he was appointed Director of Chamber Music at the Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, SC, where he presented some of the world's best chamber musicians.

"With utmost sadness, today we said goodbye to our friend and colleague Geoff Nuttall," The St. Lawrence String Quartet said in a joint statement. "He died at age 56 with his wife Livia at his side. Geoff was an inspired artist whose loyalty to his chosen passions and people was legendary. He fought cancer as he lived his life, brimming with optimism and tirelessly showing up for the things he loved the most: spending time with his wife Livia and playing sports with his boys; collecting vinyl LP’s, building objects with his hands, and sharing the pleasures of analog experiences of all kinds; nurturing native plants and gardening; and seeking in the string quartet an ever more expansive universe of human expression.

"Geoff had an energetic and spiritual connection to music that rubbed off on anyone lucky enough to witness him play," they continued. "He constantly inspired us to heights we never dreamed of. In his home bases here at Stanford University; at the Spoleto USA Festival in Charleston, SC; in Canada and in many other places around the world, he touched countless lives through his performances, teaching, advocacy and friendship. We will miss him every single day, but feel immensely grateful to have been his fellow traveler."

Nuttall is survived by his wife and violinist Livia Sohn, their children, Jack and Ellis, as well as his mother and sister.

Our condolences to Mr. Nuttall's family, friends, students, and colleagues.